Method of making tennis shoes



Apr-i126, 1932. A EST v r 1,855,226

METHOD OF MAKING TENNIS SHOES Filed April 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F1 gfl.

April 26, 1932. v A, Q EsTEY I 855,226

METHOD OF MAKING TENNIS SHOES Filed April 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Shet 2 l/E/VTUR A A, M 5

Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR C. ESTEY, OF FAYVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORTO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON,

JERSEY NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW METHOD or MAKING rmvms SHOES Application filed April 27,

This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and is herein illustrated and described in connection with the manufacture of tennis shoes which, as usually constructed, are made up with canvas uppers and rubber soles.

In making tennis shoes, it is customary to assemble the parts of an upper and, prior to its incorporation in the shoe, to apply a narrow band of cement to the lower margin of the inside of the upper. The upper and insole are then assembled on the last and the cemented margin is overlapped upon and stuck down on the insole sufliciently to hold it in place during the completion of the shoe. After the lasting operation, cement is applied to the part of the upper which is overlasted on the bottom of the shoe and also to the adjacent marginal band of the upper on the last extending up from the bottom of the shoe and known as the foxing area. This cement is used for the attachment of a strip of gum rubber known as a foxing strip or foxing and, because of the porous or absorbent nature of the upper material, it is frequently found necessary to apply more than one coating of cement to secure a firm'attachment of the foxing strip. The first coating of cement is apt to sink into the pores of the canvas and to be absorbed by the fibers thereof to such an extent that the coating material left on the surface has insufficient adhesive power to accomplish the desired result. The foxing strip or foxing is applied to the upper over the foxing area usually in such a position that it slightly overlaps the bottom of the shoe, and the rubbersole is secured to the bottom of the shoe by means of cement and pressure. Frequently it is found desirable to effect a firm union of the overlapping'edge of the sole upon the foXing strip by a so-called stitching or wheeling operation, after which the rubber parts of the shoe are Vulcanized.

In this customary method of making tennis shoes, the so-called step of foxing cementing or applying the band of cement to the foxing area of the lasted shoe must be performed by at least one separate operation, and usually by two separate operations. Furthermore, when performed manually, it requires a very 1931. Serial No. 533,061.

v tom of the shoe, i. e., at substantially a uniform distance above the bottom of the shoe, so that there shall be a firm adhesion between the upper edge of the foxing strip and the upper without gaping because of a lack of cement and without soiling the upper because of a surplusage of cement.

In a well designed shoe the overlapping margin of the upper, which in the process of lasting is secured to the insole, is of uniform width. It will be noted, then, that the upper edge of the foxing area, which is at a uniform distance from the corner of the insole over which the upper is lasted, is therefore also at a uniform distance from the edge of the unlasted upper.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making tennis shoes in accordance with which the cost may be reduced and production increased, while requiring a minimum of skill.

Looking toward the attainment of this ob ject, the step of foxing cementing is simplified by applying cement to the foxing area of the upper before the upper is lasted. If the nature of the material of the upper and the quality or character of the cement is such that asingle coating suflices, then'a maxim um saving is obtained. If, on the other hand, it is necessary to apply a second coating of cement after the upper has been lasted, then in part, directly opposite the lower margin of the inner surface of the upper which is coated to secure the upper to the insole during the lasting operation. The application 3 of the first coating of cement to the foxing area can therefore just as well be made when the stripe of cement is applied to the lower margin of theinner surface of the upper,

thus saving one operation. In another aspect, 5 the invention is characterized by the simultaneous application of stripes of cement to the lower margins of the inner and outer faces of the upper while it is stillsubstantially flat and before it is lasted. The stripe ofcement which is applied to the outside of the upper is wider than the opposing stripe and extends to the upper edge of the foxing area. By gaging from the edge of the upper it is very easy to bring the upper edge of the coated foxing area at a uniform distance from the edge of the upper and hence a uniform distance above the bottom of the shoe.

It will be understood that the term cement. is used in this specification generically to include not only the so-called rubber cements made in various Ways, as by cutting rubber with a solvent such as naphtha, but also to include latex adhesives and other suitable adhesives.

An exemplification of the invention is described in the following specification with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 illustrates the simultaneous application of bands of cement to an unlasted'upper by means of a double cementer;

Fig. 2 shows the lasting of the shoe with the overlasted margin being pressed into place manually;

Fig. 3 shows a shoe which has been lasted and in which the operation of foxing cementing has been completed and indicates a foxing strip partially applied to the shoe; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-section through the forward portion of the shoe and a device for applying a sole to the shoe.

The upper 10 which is shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated as having been turned wrong side out and is a completely assembled upper including the quarters 12, the vamp 14, the lacing flap l6, eyelet stays 18, and eyelets 20. The upper can most readily be presented to a cementing machine in this inside-out condition and this machine may, for example, be a double cementer of the type shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,831,904 granted November 17 1931, in the name of .lohn W. Cosgrove, deceased, for improvements in cementing machines.- This machine, as illustrated, comprises a wide upper cement roll 22 and a narrow lower cement roll 24. These rolls are mounted upon driven shafts 26 and the upper roll is supplied with cement from an overhead tank (not shown) while the lower roll 24 picks up cement from a receptacle 28, the upper part of said roll projecting through an opening in a cover 30. The inner faces of the rolls are in alinement with one another and with the operative face 32 of an edge gage 34 against which the edge of the upper is positioned. That part of the upper which is notsupported by the roll 24 for contact with the upper roll 22 is shown as supported by a member having a hump 36 so that firm contact with the whole width of the periphery of the upper roll 22 is maintained. Single cementing machines of this general type are in common use for applying a narrow band of cement indicated at 40 to the'lower margin of the inside face of the upper for use in securing the overlasted upper to an insole 42 when the shoe is lasted upon a last 46, as indicated in Ffg. 2. Skilled operators can present the uppers to such machines at a high rate ofspeed and, when the machine is of the type illustrated in Fig. 1, it is e ually easy for t e operator to apply stripes o cement to the 0pposite inner and outer margins of the upper so that a band 44 of greater width than the band 40 is applied to the lower margin of the outside of the upper. The width of this band is predetermined and is wide enough to cover not only the area opposite the band 40 but also the area, commonly called the foxing area, which extends above this band and is covered in the completed shoe by a foxing strip 48 (Fig. 3).

The lasting operation may be carried out in any desired way, either manually, as shown in Fig. 2, to draw the upper tightly over the last and to secure the mar in thereof to the insole 42, or the same resu t may be accomplished by means of lasting machines which are available commercially. Assuming that the pattern was properly drafted, the overlasted margin 50 of the upper will be of uniform width and this will leave a portion 52 of the band of cement 44 extending above the bottom of the shoe a uniform distance determined by the width of the cement roll 22 which is employed.

If found necessary, either because a sufficiently heavy coating is not applied to the band 44 at the first operation or because too great a period of time has elapsed between the cementing of the uppers and the lasting of the shoes, thus allowing the cement to dry unduly, then another coat of cement may be applied to the foxing area either manually or by means of any suitable machine. If done manually, it will be greatly facilitated by reason of the fact that the band 44 is of just the desired width so that the upper edge of 30 the outside of an unlasted upper.

Successive steps in the completion of the shoe include the laying of a sole 60 firmly in place upon the bottom of the shoe where it is secured by cement upon the portion 50 of the overlasted upper and usually by cement spread over the exposed portion of the insole 42. This sole laying may be accomplished, for example, by means of a machine such as that illustrated in Fig. 4 embodying a'box 62 covered by a rubber diaphragm 64, said box being filled with fluid 66 which may be put under pressure to cause the diaphragm 64 to wrap firmly around the shoe as the lat- I ter is forced downwardly or held in position by a presser 68. If this operation is not sufiicient to wrap the edge portion 70 of the sole tightly up against the foxing strip48, a separate wheeling or stitching operation may be performed in a manner well understood in the art to secure firm adhesion of this edge 70 to the foxing strip 48. Vulcanization of the sole ,and other rubber parts of the shoe, such as thefoxing strip 48, may then beefi'ected in any desired manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1. That method of making tennis shoes which includes aso'ne step the application of a stripe of cement to the lower margin'of 2. That method of making tennis shoes which includes as one step coating with cement a margin of the outer face ofan unlasted upper to cover the foxing area thereof. 3. That method of making tennis shoes which includes the. application of one coat of cement to the foxing area of the upper before the upper is lasted and the application of a second coat of cement superimposed upon the first after the upper is lasted.

4. That method of making tennis shoes which includes as one step the simultaneous application of stripes of cement to the like margins/of opposite surfacesv of an unlasted upper, the stripe of cement which is applied to the outside of the upper being wide enough to. cover the foxing area; 1

5. That method of making tennis shoes which includes as one step the simultaneous application of stripes of cement of different widths to the lower margins of opposite surfaces of an unlasted upper, the stripe applied to the inside margin being substantially equal in width to the width of the portion'to be lasted over the insole, and the-width of the stripe applied to the outside of the upper being as much wider than this inner stripe as the distance the foxing area is to extend above the bottom of the shoe. 6. That method of making tennis shoes which includes the simultaneous application of stripes of cement to like margins of the opposite faces of an unlasted upper, the stripe L of cement which is applied to the outside of the upper being wide enough to cover the foxing area, and the subsequent application of a superposed coacting of cement upon the foxing area after the shoe is lasted.

7. That method of makingv tennis shoes which includes the application of a stripe of cement to the outside of an unlasted u per to cover the foxin area, the lasting 0 the shoe and the app ication of a superposed stripe of cement to the foxing'area of the lasted upper.

8. That method of making tennis shoes which includes the simultaneous application of stripes of cement to the lower margins of the inner and outer faces of an unlasted upper, that stripe ofcement which is applied to the outside of the upper being wide enough to cover the foxing area, lasting the shoe, and

applying a superposed stripe of cement to the oxing area of the lasted shoe with its upper edge in registration with the upper edge of the stripe previously applied to the foxing area.

9. That method of making tennis shoes which consists in applying cement simultaneously to like margins of the inner and outer faces at the lower edge of an assembled canvas upper, the stripe applied to the outside of the upper being wide enough to coat the foxing area, lasting the upper and causing the stripe of cement on the inner face to adhere to the bottom of an insole, and securing a sole to the shoe to cover the overlasted up-v per.

10. That method of making tennis shoes which consists in applying cement simultane,

ously to like margins of the inner and outer faces at the lower edge of an assembled canvas upper, the stripe applied to the outside of the upper being wide enough to coatthe foxing area, lasting the upper and causing the stripe of cement on the inner face to adhere to the bottom of an insole, applying a foxing strip to the cemented foxing area, and securing a sole to the shoe to cover the overlasted upper and to adhere to the foxing strip.

11. That method of making tennis shoes which consists in applying cement simultaneously to like margins of the inner and outer faces at the lower edge of an assembled canvas .upper, the stripe applied to the outside of the upper being wide enough to coat the foxing area, lasting the upper and causin the stripe of cement on the inner face to a here to the bottom of an insole, applying a second stripe of cement superimposed upon the .already coated foxing area, laying the foxing strip on the foxing area, and securing a sole to the shoe to cover the overlasted upper and to adhere to the foxing strip. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR G. ESTEY. 

